I love Gilmore Girls.

My daughter and I watched every episode then watched again repeatedly until I think the DVDs are worn out. We love it that much. So we both watched the Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life on Netflix the minute it came out on Thanksgiving weekend. Loved it!!
I want to share a few things that struck me without spoiling anything for those of you who have not yet seen it.
Rory is a mess. This smart girl who had everything figured out in high school and college is lost ten years later. “I don’t have a plan, a list, a clue!” Like the thirty-something club that appears frequently in Stars Hollow, she has reached a point in her life where she doesn’t have any idea what to do next. And without a plan, she is lost.
The saddest part is seeing her float around while wasting opportunity after opportunity. She blows an interview in spectacular fashion because she cannot explain, “Why should I hire Rory”.
This is the part I want to talk about.
How in the world can a talented, intelligent woman with excellent credentials and experience not be able to explain why someone should hire her? Easy. It happens all the time. Maybe it is happening to you right now.
Every day talented intelligent people with excellent credentials and experiences get caught up in interviews and in their job search because they have no idea what they want and no idea how to express it. This is a shame and a needless waste.
Rory needs a job search coach.
Here are the questions I would ask:
- What is the experience you are most proud of?
- What gives you joy? What is it about that experience that is joyful and fulfilling to you?
- What do you absolutely hate – in life, about some people, about your least favorite job? What makes you say that?
- If you could do anything in the world right this very minute, what would it be?
“I don’t know” is not an acceptable answer. Everyone has experiences they love and hate, people they love being around or not, dreams that they are afraid or reluctant to reveal.
The path lies somewhere in these experiences and dreams. Sometimes you just need someone to tease it out of you, someone who is not your mother.
Much as we love Lorelei, your mom is not always able to be the impartial observer willing to risk it all by asking hard questions. Moms, including Lorelei, are supposed to be there for you to wipe the tears and say a soothing, love-filled something. The best moms, even Lorelei, cannot always ask the tough questions that make you dig deeper to pull out the info that forms the new path.
Rory needs someone to help her focus on these important questions so she can make a new plan. She needs a coach.
I know this is true because I cannot coach my daughter about making a new plan. Somehow despite my best efforts, everything I say comes across like some sort of unintended accusation. My daughter needs a coach too. She needs me to be her mom while she creates her new plan.
Rory really blows a big interview (and I am not spoiling anything to tell you this). She probably does not want the job and the job is almost certainly not right for her but she blows the interview anyway.
Rory has no idea how to answer even the most fundamental questions. She thinks she can wing it because she is smart and has good credentials and experience but she can’t. No one can. Rory is simply unprepared. The hiring manager sees it immediately. Ever have that experience?
An interview is a terrible thing to waste.
Rory needs an interview coach. Badly.
If I were Rory’s interview coach I would ask her:
- What are three or four accomplishments that you think this organization might be interested in? Let’s turn them into stories that support your claim that you can do this job.
- I would have Rory research the organization to see whether the organization has the values and people that she would like to work with.
- We would create and prepare responses for questions we think the hiring manager might ask. Most of all, we would work on crafting a great answer to “Tell me about yourself”. This would give Rory the preparation to be able to pivot on the spot when the hiring manager asks questions like, “Why should I hire Rory?”
Since Rory is clearly an introvert, she needs to think these questions through in advance and practice out loud so the words flow smoothly. She might have trouble coming up with a great answer on the spot without preparation. She needs the time to think.
Do you ever feel lost, like you need a new plan? Have you blown an interview because you thought you could wing it? We can help you just like we can help Rory.
Stop floating around like Rory. Find an impartial coach who can help you put together a plan, create a job search marketing plan and interview like a pro. Invest in yourself to get the life you yearn for!